Accurately measuring air properties, including air temperature and air density, can be valuable in numerous applications. For example, these properties can be used in connection with measuring the wind profile (e.g., speed, velocity, and direction) around a moving aircraft. Computing Mach speeds is inaccurate with imprecise air temperature measurement. Likewise, contemporary measurement devices are imprecise aircraft pressure altitude.
While contemporary air property measurement devices are available, they suffer from several limitations, restrictions, and inefficiencies. Simple devices lack precision and can be slow to generate data, particularly where data must be converted and transmitted to other devices for use. Static air pressure ports experience inaccuracies from airflow disturbances caused by air currents and turbulence, icing, and changes in port orientation relative to airflow, such as during changes in aircraft attitude (i.e., the orientation relative to the ground). Complex devices are large, heavy, often involve moving parts, and require considerable power for operation. Such devices are ideal for, given the space, weight, and power constraints of most aircraft.
Furthermore, conventional approaches do not provide reliable systems and methods for making air data measurements at a sample location at a sufficient distance from the aircraft or any physical attachments thereto such that the measurement will not be subject to systemic errors of a sort that cannot always be fully compensated for such as those caused by air compression effects and airflow disturbances.
What is needed is an air property measurement solution with few (if any) moving parts, compact and lightweight in design, and low power requirements, yet still generates highly accurate and real-time data.